Would like a few opinions on stratocaster.

[Sheetmaself]

Hi all, thinking of getting a stratocaster to add to my les paul deluxe, martin ed sheeran and squier affinity telecaster.

Been looking at this http://www.richtonemusic.co.uk/products/fender_200...
But wondering how much extra i am paying for the unique paint job, dont mind paying more just cant work out how much it should be worth as prices on ebay fluctuate wildly.

Other option would be a http://www.richtonemusic.co.uk/products/fender_usa... which seems to be getting good reviews.

Or of course the latter option opens me up to http://m.guitarguitar.co.uk/Product/14081513253916

So I geuss the questions are,

1 how much extra am i paying for the paint job.
2 are either of the other options worth the extra?

The cost, up to the level i am looking at, doesn't bother me as long as it represents value.

Type of music played will be clapton,knopfler type music.

And i am very much a beginner still, but have been playing for a year or so.

Edited by Sheetmaself on Tuesday 9th August 19:53

[Sheetmaself]

Thanks for that, first link sorted.

[Sheetmaself]

I have use of a japan strat, believe 60's reissue as my dad has one and we swop guitars quite a bit.

Would still like one of my own though, and am enjoying building up a collection.

[Sheetmaself]

i assume the hideous comment is on the first one, it definitely is a marmite thing!

Would prefer rosewood purely for looks and the fact that the jap strat is maple but i would need to read up on differences before i bought a new guitar.

[Sheetmaself]

Tell me about it went to see ray hatfield the other day who was playing about £200 worth of squeir and making it sound better than i could even dream of.

However, seeing as i cant play properly it may as well look nice

[Sheetmaself]

lockhart flawse said:

They're lovely but god they're expensive.

I am currently using an old Tokai Silver Star as my SC guitar, black with a rosewood neck which allows a bit more feel I think. They are real bargains and IMO as near as damnit the same as a Jap Strat.

Whats expensive sorry? All three or the splattercaster (cracking name)?

[Sheetmaself]

Thanks for all the replies, this is the Japanese stratocaster of my dads which i often nick



I believe it is a 60's reissue bought around 1986 no idea if this is the fabled japanese vintage model though.

I wouldnt want another japanese strat as as sad as it may be i will get this someday and i am trying to allow for what my dad has in order to not end up with duplicates (the reason at the moment i am thinking of a rosewood neck for example).

Thinking behind the mexican strat is i really do like the paintwork (my guitars are left out on stands), the us elite seems to be getting rave reviews and the Suhr seems to be the next level before custom shop which are at a price point i am not comfortable at.

[Sheetmaself]

Sorry for the interloper in that photo but its the only one i have.

[Sheetmaself]

6th Gear said:

lockhart flawse said:

They're lovely but god they're expensive.

http://www.newkingsroadguitars.co.uk/guitarshop/1963_Strat.html

Hmmm at least one to many 9's on that for my budget.

[Sheetmaself]

Interesting you say that both of my electric guitars were bought after testing blind. Told them my budget and that i wanted a telecaster/les paul got them to take prices off and just played them. Ended up with an affinity telecaster first time so worked quite well but then a les paul deluxe so maybe should of checked the price a bit more as was initially thinking of an epiphone!

Only issue i have with this method is if i go and try the splattercaster and like it, i still wont know if its a £150 guitar with a £250 paint job.

[Sheetmaself]

Not so much close by but they are who i used for the gibson, and was very impressed with them so would prefer to buy from them again.

[Sheetmaself]

I know what you mean about difficult to buy a bad one, my telecaster is "only" a squier affinity and cost me a tenth of the gibson, sure the gibson looks a lot nicer but sound wise there's definitely not a sound £1100 better.

This is the reason why i am leaning more towards the Mexican at the moment (or even an affinity strat) will have to go i to a shop and try its just typical that one shop has the Suhr in Birmingham and the one which has the Mexican splattercaster is in Sheffield.

[Sheetmaself]

Haha nope i have a fender mustang 1 at the moment which is fine with the telecaster but the gibson seems to be at the limit of what it can handle so this is due a change too at some point. I have my eye on the fender blues amp.

With regards to the price, i am comfortable with any of the price points mentioned but dont want to just spend needlessly, but no without being crude about things neither would break the bank.

[Sheetmaself]

Yep dont worry fully aware that the amp is now the weak link this is going to be sorted as soon as i have a second with this http://m.guitarguitar.co.uk/Product/15101428997300... , my friend has one and i really like the sound it gives.

Sorry for all the guitarguitar links by the way!

[Sheetmaself]

A mate of mine has one, apparently the volume goes up to 12! He only goes up to 1 and a bit though at home, he gigs quite a bit on his own and with a band.
Maybe the junior version would be a better offering for me then. I geuss the same as with buying the guitar i need to take my guitars somewhere and try out the amps.

Thanks for offer of the red dial by the way but i will politely decline.

The main concern i have with the amp is that generally i have about 30 minutes of guitar time whilst waiting for something and assuming valve guitar amps are like valve hifi amps am concerned they will spend a lot of that time warming up. I do like my mustang and will try the mustang 2 or 3 to see if there is an improvement and some other solid state amps due to time limitations.

[Sheetmaself]

In my main house i pretty much dont have neighbours, i think the closest is three fields away. However i do have a place in Japan and that is quote built up. Therefore valve amp would be in UK mustang 1 would travel to its new home or be sold and then re-bought over there depending on baggage costs.